Byrneville Elementary Names Students of The Month
March 17, 2026
Byrneville Elementary School recently named its February Students of the Month.
They are:
- Kindergarten: Tayla Nichols and Ellie Vollmer
- 1st Grade: Colten McPhaul and Bo Koski
- 2nd Grade: Jani’la Durant and Manny Gifford
- 3rd Grade: Elli Macyn Plant and Jacob Vollmer
- 4th Grade: Baylee Gafford and Ellie Edwards
- 5th Grade: Chaplin Grassia and Myra Gill
- Art: Suzi Pope
- Music: Daviyelle Young
- PE: Harper Ellis
Image for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment 10,000 Pound Food Distribution Is Today
March 17, 2026
The Cantonment Improvement Committee will host a food distribution today, March 17, providing 10,000 pounds of food to local residents in need. The giveaway will begin at 3 p.m. at Carver Park, located at 208 Webb Street in Cantonment.
Attendees should line up facing north on Webb Street.
To receive food, individuals must present a valid identification with a limit of three people with identifications per vehicle.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Carol Ann (Ward) Driver
March 17, 2026
Carol Ann (Ward) Driver passed away on March 12, 2026, at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Florida. She was 83 years old.
Carol Ann was born on September 14, 1943, in Atmore, Alabama, at Greenlawn Hospital to Ernest and Frances Ward. She was raised in Walnut Hill, Florida, and later in life moved to her husband James Lloyd Driver’s home in Loxley, Alabama.
She graduated from Ernest Ward High School in Walnut Hill, Florida, where she was honored as Senior Class Homecoming Queen, Drum Major, and Lead Majorette. Her senior class also voted her “Beauty.” She was active in sports and played both softball and volleyball.
Carol Ann was a lifelong member of Walnut Hill Baptist Church in Walnut Hill, Florida, where she attended faithfully for many years. Later in life, after moving to her husband James Lloyd Driver’s home in Loxley, Alabama, she regularly attended Loxley Church of God, now known as Loxley Church, while continuing to return to Walnut Hill Baptist Church for special gatherings and homecoming services.
Carol Ann loved her family and was known for her joyful spirit. She enjoyed laughing, baking, cooking, playing the piano, watching westerns, and getting her hair and nails done. She especially enjoyed spending time with family and friends and cherished every moment shared with them.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Ernest and Frances Ward; her brother, Jeff Ward; her husband, James Lloyd Driver; and her daughters, Lisa Littles and Lynn Driver.
She is survived by her children, Lana Pulido (Raul Pulido), Luci Parmer (Bryan Parmer), and Horace Lloyd Driver.
She is also survived by her grandchildren, Reid Carrillo, A.J. Sappenfield, J.D. Sappenfield, Justice Smith, Samantha Langham (Chase Langham), Raul Pulido, and Sabrina Pulido.
She is further survived by her great-granddaughter, Lennox Langham.
She is also survived by her siblings, Judy Eicher (Wallace Eicher) and Harry Ward (Judy Ward).
Carol Ann will be remembered for her warmth, laughter, and the love she shared with her family and friends. Her senior quote was, “Leave with no tears and few regrets.”
Active pallbearers will be Reid Carrillo (grandson), Raul Pulido (grandson), Vic Eicher (nephew), Brett Ward (cousin), Chase Langham (granddaughter Samantha Langham’s husband), and Julio Atenza (family friend).
Honorary pallbearers will be A.J. Sappenfield (grandson), J.D. Sappenfield (grandson), Justice Smith (grandson), Lloyd Duncan (brother-in-law), Tim Gibbs (niece Gina Gibbs’ husband), Charles Driver (cousin), and Jeff Smith (family friend).
Ladies of the Privy Chamber will be Kathy Baker (sister-in-law), Katherine Breeden (sister-in-law), Marilyn Bridges (cousin), Lynn Wilson (family friend), Sue Crook (caregiver and family friend), and Neak Charnease (family friend).
Ladies in Waiting will be Samantha Langham (granddaughter), Sabrina Pulido (granddaughter), Lennox Langham (great-granddaughter), Mary Helen O’Quin (cousin), Joyce Dempsey (family friend), and Alicia Williams (family friend).
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Sue Crook, her caregiver, for the kindness, compassion, and friendship she shared with Carol Ann.
Visitation will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18, at Loxley Church with Lead Pastor Kevin Mills, located at 5220 S Hickory Street, Loxley, Alabama 36551.
Celebration of Life funeral services will follow at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, at Walnut Hill Baptist Church with Lead Pastor Ted Bridges (cousin), located at 5741 Arthur Brown Road, Walnut Hill, Florida 32568.
Burial will follow in the Driver family plots at Walnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery, where Carol Ann will be laid to rest beside her husband, James Lloyd Driver.
Arrangements are being handled by Mack Funeral Home in Robertsdale, Alabama.
Wednesday: Fresh Produce on Wheels From Millie Mobile Market In Molino
March 17, 2026
The Millie Mobile Market is scheduled to be in Molino on Wednesday with a variety of fresh produce.
Millie will be at the Molino Community Center (Molino Library) at 6450 North Highway 95A from noon until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18.
During the Molino visits, Millie will offer a menu of fresh produce at discounted prices. Items available will include apples, bell peppers, carrots, garlic, onions, oranges, gold and sweet potatoes, lemons, and tomatoes.
Millie travels routes throughout Feeding the Gulf Coast’s Florida service area, addressing pockets of low food access (food deserts) where supermarkets are scarce, to provide community members the opportunity to buy affordable fresh produce and other nutritious foods at a significantly discounted rate. Feeding the Gulf Coast collaborates with local farmers to purchase produce when available specifically for the Millie Mobile Market.
Only debit or credit cards (including tap-to-pay) are accepted at Millie; no cash.
Pictured: A previous Millie Mobile Market visit at the Molino Library. File photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Member Of Outlaws Motorcycle Club Pleads Guilty To Federal Arson Charge
March 17, 2026
An Escambia County member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club has pleaded guilty in federal court to arson, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Gregory E. Simonds Jr., 42, pleaded guilty in federal court to the charge of arson by means of an explosive causing personal injury.
On February 15, 2025, during an altercation with a group of individuals associated with the Pagans Motorcycle Club in the parking lot of Emerald Coast Harley Davidson on Beal Parkway in Fort Walton Beach, Simonds set off an explosive that damaged the adjacent Jimmy John’s restaurant building and injured one of its employees, according to court documents.
Although the defendant drove away from the scene, Simonds was quickly identified and arrested by law enforcement. In his car, officers recovered four more explosive devices, two guns, narcotics and drug paraphernalia, and an Outlaws Motorcycle Club vest that the defendant had been identified wearing during the incident. During a subsequent search of his residence, federal agents seized additional explosive devices, explosive making material and equipment, and other evidence that the defendant was making and selling explosives.
Sally “Lynne” Miller
March 17, 2026
Ms. Sally “Lynne” Miller, age 90, passed away Monday, March 16, 2026, at her residence.
Ms. Miller was born in Holyoke, MA. but was a lifelong resident of Escambia County Alabama. Ms. Miller enjoyed crocheting, sewing and embroidering. She loved working in her flowers and enjoyed doing puzzles. She loved watching Alabama football. Ms. Lynne loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren very much. She loved baking, watching chain reaction on TV with her great grandchildren. She also enjoyed decorating at Christmas time with her great grandchildren. Ms. Miller’s great grandchildren say she loved drinking her Diet Dr. Peppers. Ms. Miller is preceded in death by her parents – Talmadge and Gertrude Beasley; a grandson – Lane Clary.
Ms. Sally Miller is survived by her two sons – Randal W. Miller of Little Rock, AL and Ricky W. Miller of Little Rock, AL; one daughter – Lynne Wynell Miller Clary of Flomaton; one brother – Skip Beasley of Castleberry; one sister – Kay Mooney of Walnut Hill, FL; four grandchildren – Cody (Madison Savage) Clary, Justin Clary, Jennifer Walker and Kaleb Miller; five great grandchildren – Lane Franklin, Weston Griener, Randi Jo Griener, Beckett Clary and Taytum Clary; a cousin – Jean Hobby of Raleigh, N.C.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 2:00 P.M. from the chapel of Flomaton Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Walnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 1:00 P.M. until 2:00 P.M. at the Flomaton Funeral Home chapel.
Windy And Colder Monday; A Couple Of Near Freezing Nights
March 16, 2026
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 32. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 53. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37. Calm wind.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 49. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 81.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 83.
Fire Destroys Large Barn In Molino (Gallery)
March 16, 2026
Fire destroyed a large barn in Molino on Sunday afternoon.
The approximately 2,400-square-foot barn was fully involved in fire shortly after the blaze was reported to Escambia County Fire Rescue around 3:30 p.m. on Sunshine Ride Court, off Sunshine Hill Road west of Highway 97.
The fire reportedly started when someone was working on equipment inside the barn. There were no injuries reported at the scene.
The barn was a total loss. The fire also damaged or destroyed horse trailers and other equipment.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Update: Man Completes Walk Across America From Top To Bottom
March 16, 2026
In early December, we introduced to Tim Hickle as he traveled through North Escambia on a quest to walk across America from north to south.
Sunday, Hickle texted NorthEscambia.com to say he has now made it to Key West — nine months, four days, 4,040 miles and 9.4 million steps later.
Our original story from December 2, 2025 (scroll down):
When Tim Hickle decided he would retire after 40 years as a buyer in the construction industry, his wife said he needed to find something to do. And he did.
Walking across America from north to south.
“So I went online and I searched the things to do when you retire, which is a horrible idea,” the 64-year-old said Monday afternoon on Pine Barren Road near McDavid.
“But I found this guy that walked Route 66 from Chicago to L.A. It was something I thought I could do. The more research I did, the more I found there were just hundreds and hundreds of people that go from coast to coast each year.”
He eventually settled on a north-south route from northern Minnesota, at the northernmost point of the U.S. at the Canadian border, to Key West, Florida. He retired in May and started his walk on June 8; he hopes to reach Key West by the end of February.
He’s made it over 180 days and 2,700 miles to North Escambia. He has about 900 miles to go.
He crossed into Florida on Sunday and spent Sunday night at Lake Stone near Century before hitting the road again. He planned to spend Monday night at the Bogia Boat Ramp on Bogia Road off Highway 29 before heading to the Molino Fire Station by Tuesday night.
As he walks, he pulls what he has nicknamed the “Copper Kettle”. It’s a simple camper cart he designed and built that carries his supplies and provides a place to sleep. The cart weighs about 120 pounds. “It has a memory foam mattress, sleeping bag, pillows,” he said. “Anything that needs to stay dry goes inside.”
Hickle is not walking to raise money or draw attention to any cause.
“It’s just a personal goal to walk from the far north in the Lower 48 to the far south in the Lower 48. There’s a lot to be said for downsizing to the point where everything I need fits into 22 square feet. I don’t mean to be anti-commercial or anything, but less is more for me.” Along the way, he recharges electrical items as he can, items like his phone and caution lights for the back of the camper.
Hickle is keeping in touch with his wife back home in Colorado as he walks, joining her when he can by phone or video—especially on Mondays when he helps her babysit their grandchild.
“We are about to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary,” he noted. He is going to miss that anniversary as he walks. One of the best parts of the walk, he said, is meeting people.
“I’m doing this at a walking pace so that I can have human interactions,” he said. “I can have a conversation with someone by the road that is getting the mail or mowing their grass. We are going to have some kind of interaction.”
“They are really the high points of his journey.”
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
It’s Spring Break – That Means The Annual Aggie Classic
March 16, 2026
It’s spring break, and that means it’s time for the 31st annual Harvesters Credit Union Aggie Classic with teams from four states facing off across Pensacola.
Tate, Washington, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Catholic, and Pace will take part in the tournament, as will W.S. Neal from East Brewton, Alabama. The remainder of the teams are from Tennessee and Oklahoma.
Daily tickets for adults are $10, or $35 for a weekly pass. For children (11 and under), daily tickets are $5, or $15 for a weekly pass. Ages 5 and under are free. Tickets will be available at the gate each day, with cash or card accepted.
Last year, the Tate Aggies fell in the championship game of the Aggie Classic 13-7 to the First Academy Royals of Orlando.
Monday, March 16
Tate High School
4:00 PM – Christ Presbyterian, TN vs Yukon, OK
7:00 PM – Tate, FL vs Union, OK
Pace High School
4:00 PM – WS Neal, AL vs Bixby, OK
7:00 PM – Pace, FL vs Broken Arrow, OK
Gulf Breeze High School
7:00 PM – Gulf Breeze, FL vs Blanchard, OK
Catholic High School
7:00 PM – Catholic, FL vs Claremore, OK
Tuesday, March 17
Tate High School
4:00 PM – WS Neal, AL vs Yukon, OK
7:00 PM – Tate, FL vs Broken Arrow, OK
Pace High School
4:00 PM – Pace, FL vs Claremore, OK
Gulf Breeze High School
4:00 PM – Christ Presbyterian, TN vs Union, OK
7:00 PM – Gulf Breeze, FL vs Bixby, OK
Catholic High School
7:00 PM – Catholic, FL vs Blanchard, OK
Wednesday, March 18
Tate High School
4:00 PM – WS Neal, AL vs Union, OK
7:00 PM – Tate, FL vs Claremore, OK
Pace High School
7:00 PM – Pace, FL vs Blanchard, OK
Gulf Breeze High School
7:00 PM – Gulf Breeze, FL vs Yukon, OK
Catholic High School
4:00 PM – Christ Presbyterian, TN vs Broken Arrow, OK
7:00 PM – Catholic, FL vs Bixby, OK
NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
